Garment having closed neck opening



. I Aug. 8, 1939.

H. L. REDMOND GARIENT HAVING CLOSED NECK OPENING Filed June 24, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l A: :2. 22:2: QRCARAZ.

a, ATTORNEY Aug. 8, 1939.

H. L. REDMOND .GARIENT HAVING CLOSED NECK OPENING Filed June 24, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f INVENTOR f M V ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 8, 1939 'ornNmG Harriet L. Redmond, Needham, Mala, alignor to The William Carter Company, Needham Heights, Masa, a corporation of Massachusetta Application June 24, ms, Serial No. 215,521

10 Claims. (01. 2-111) This invention relates to garments and more particularly to a closed type of shoulder-supported garment which requires no fastening means of the class of buttons, snaps or tapes.

5 It is an object of this invention to provide a garment of this type which may be formed from tubular knit fabric in such manner as to minimize the number of necessary seams, and to position such seams as are necessary along lines consistent with optimum fabric elasticity between predetermined points.

Absence of seams is an obvious advantage in any garment, and is especially desirable in in,-

I fants garments wherein seams are made noticeably bulky by the otherwise diminutive size of the garment. In sleeved garments, the sleeves require special seams, and when this requirement is combined with the necessity of providing proper seams for making a closed neck opening which will fit snugly and yet can be expanded to an extent adequate to permit ready passage of the garment over the head or over the feet, a special problem in seam location consistent, with fabric economy and elasticity along desirable lines is presented.

My preferred form of infants sleeved garment construction, therefore, contemplates the provision of a seamless tubularbody portion, transversely seamless single thickness shoulder portions, and seamless under-arm portions, all incorporated in such fashion as to insure snugly fitting edges surrounding the neck when the garment is worn. Additionally, this construction is such as to permit the inclusion of a double thickness of fabric in a limited area at the front of the garment, varying in accordance with the amount of chest protection desired. when knit fabric is used, a further feature of my garment is an added elasticity between certain predeterof the wales in portions of the fabric lying between those points, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In accordance with my invention, those features may be incorporated in a garment, which, with the exception of the sleeves, is formed from a one-piece blank cut from tubular knit fabric with resulting manufacturing economies both in materials and in seaming labor, The manner of cutting and handling such a blank is applicable to the manufacture of various garments, among which are infants shirts, infants sleeveless bands, infants nightgowns, and infants undergarments and night clothes generally. As illustrative of 55 one type of garment of my invention, the accommined points afforded by reason of the position.

' panying drawings show and the following specification will describe an infant's shirt having sleeves, it being understood that the description is equally applicable to other forms of garments, whether in infants, childrens or adult sizes.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front view'of an infant's shirt in flat form;

Fig. 2 is a back view of the same garment;

Fig. 3 Ban outline representation of a blank in fiat form from which the garment of Figs. 1 and 2 may be formed, and

Fig. 4 is intended to illustrate diagrammatically a method of handling the blank of Fig. 3 to form the garment of Figs. 1 and 2.

As shown inFlgs. l and 2, the garment includes a tubular body portion ll, having a front l2 and a back it. The front l2 terminates in an upper centrally concave edge It. The back II is carried upwardly over the shoulders, forming a neck opening 20 between shoulder-forming portions 22,"which are formed from single thickness fabric. The seamless sides of the body portion Ill terminate in elongations it which permit incorporation of a seamless under-arm construction of the type covered by my prior Patent No. 2,035,377 of March 24, 1936.

As shown in Fig. l, the shoulder forming portions 22 include front extensions or flaps 24 and 26, the utenslon 24 having an inner edge 28 ex-' tending from one shoulder downwardly across the front of the garment, meeting the upper curved edge It of front l2 at a point it, a lower edge 32 meeting, throughout its length, upper edge I 6 affront l2, and an outer edge 34 forming, in back and in front, with the elongation i8, edges to which are seamed a sleeve 36.

Similarly, the extension 26 has an inner edge 3| extending from one shoulder downwardly across the garment, meeting the front l2 at a point it on the curved edge It, a lower edge 42 meeting edge ii, and an outer edge 44 forming, in back and in front, with the other elongation l8, edges for the application of the other sleeve 4.

Extensions 24 and 26, as shown in Fig. 1, are therefore in overlapping relation, and are seamed to each other and to the front l2 by a seam II extending continuously from outer edge 24 of extension 24 through the points 40 and 20 across the front of the garment along a curved line, to outer edge 44 of extension 2 on the opposite side of thegarment. The extensions 24 and 20 are otherwise free of each other at the front of the garment.

Sleeve 28 is fastened to the garment by a seam As will be noted from Fig. 1, the top shoulder fold lines are in non-parallel relation. Accordingly, in a garment made from tubular knit fabric, when the wales in the back I4 of the body portion are vertically disposed, the wales in each of the extensions 24 and 25 will bedisposed parallel to the respective edges 28 and 38, or very nearly so, and at an angle relative to each other.

The advantages of this construction include the absence of seams at the side folds between front l2 and back M; the absence of transverse seams on shoulder portions 22 and under the arms; and a neck opening which is easily expanded for ready passing of the garment over the head or over the feet by reason of the overlapping extensions 24 and 26 anchored at remote points 30 and 40. Yet, after positioning of the garment on the wearer, the edges 28 and 38 will be positioned closely to the neck in nonsagging relation, aided by the fact that the lower extremities of edges 28 and 38 are anchored to the body portion at the points 30 and 40, which are disposed inwardly of the side folds of the garment, thereby reducing the length of unattached edges 28 and 38. Use of an elastic rubber binding around the neck opening is therefore unnecessary.

The positioning of the wales in extensions 24 and 28 in angled relation, as previously described, gives the garment great elasticity along lines extending normal to the wales in extension 24 between the neck edge 28 and the armpit on the same side of the garment, and along lines extending normal to the wales in extension 25 between the neck edge 38 and the armpit at the other side of the garment. Maximum elasticity along these lines, especially when incorporated with the seamless under-arm sleeve construction shown, tends to permit freearm movement, unhindered by any restrictive action either by the fabric of the garment or by under-arm or other seams.

As will be obvious, the seam 50 may be formed along any downwardly curved contour, depending upon the depth of extensions 24 and 26 and height of front l2. Thus, if desired, the extensions 24 and 26 may extend downwardly to the middle of the front of the garment or beyond, depending upon the desired area of double thickness, overlapped fabric desired. I prefer, however, that the extremities of edges 28 and 38 terminate at points inwardly of the side folds of the garment, even though the sleeve seams 60 can well be brought inwardly to cross points 40 and 30.

In Figs. 1 and 2, I have illustrated the incorporation of other well known elements of infants garment construction, including pin tabs 62, providing a double thickness of fabric along the bottom side folds, binding tapes around the inner edges of the extensions defining the neck opening, and finishing elastic seaming around the extremities of the sleeves and body portion.

If the elongations Ill be omitted; it will be obvious that the sleeve construction may be correspondingly modified, or a sleeveless garment may even be provided, in which case the outer edges 34 and 44 of the extensions can be suitably finished as by elastic seaming continuing around the side upper edges of the body portion to bind completely the arm-hole edges.

One advantage of the construction of a garment in accordance with that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 resides in the fact that the garment, with the exception of the sleeve portions, may be formed from a one-piece unit of seamless tubular knit fabric, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 3represents the outline of a blank formed from a length of tubular seamless knit fabric, it being understood that the fabric when out into such outline will comprise two layers of fabric, one superimposed on the other, the longitudinal edges of the blank in its widest section being fold lines of the tubular fabric in its collapsed condition.

As indicated by Fig. 3, the tubular fabric is out along certain lines to leave free edges of material which will form the upper concave edge It of the garment front, and will define the elongations I 8 and the extensions 24 and 28. Thus, from a point 2 on one fold line of the fabric, a cut is made inwardly and upwardly, leaving a free edge on the upper fabric layer which corresponds to neck-opening edge 38 of extension 26 in Fig. 1. This free edge extends in a direction generally following the direction of the wales of the fabric. From a lower point 4 on the fold line on the opposite side of the unit, a piece of fabric of irregular contour is cut away, the initial out being made inwardly and upwardly to leave i'ree edges, the edge l6b of the upper fabric layer corresponding to one-half the length of edge I6 in Fig. 1. The elongations l8 are formed preferably symmetrically about the median line of the blank unit, which line is indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 3, so that the fabric along the dot and dash lines below the elongations l8 will form the seamless side fold lines of the body portion III of the completed garment. From the base of the inner elongation cut, the blank is cut upwardly and outwardly back across the median line, leaving concave cut edges, the edge of the upper layer of fabric corresponding with outer edge 44 of extension 26; then upwardly and inwardly to leave convex cut edges, the edge of the upper layer of fabric corresponding with edge 42 in Fig. 1. The top of the blank is defined by edges out along a line extending transversely between the edge 42 and edge 38.

Fig. 4 illustrates the blank of Fig. 3 after a degree rotation of the fabric to bring the portion of the fabric along the median dot and dash line in Fig. 3, into lines defining the side folds of the blank in the position shown in Fig. 4. Simultaneously, the extension 26 is separated from its underlying layer of fabric and is brought into a plane common with that of the underlying fabric, with the wales in both extensions in substantially parallel relation to each other. This position is illustrated in Fig. 4 with extension 24 indicated by dotted lines. As is apparent, the extensions, in this collapsed position of the blank, projectoutwardly beyond the side folds of the body portion, or rather, beyond projections thereof, due to the fact that the fabric from which the extensions are cut extend on both sides of the ultimate side fold lines of the garment indicated by the dot and dash line in Fig. 3. The extension 24 may therefore be folded downwardly as shown in full lines in Fig. 4,

green along a fold line which permits the edge 28 to be brought across the garment with edge it, slightly overlapping the upper concave edge II of front II, permitting attachment thereto by a subsequent seaming operation. In like manner, the extension 28 is adapted to be folded forwardly along a fold line non-parallel with the fold line of extension 24, and the edge 42 may be brought into a position overlying or underlying the edge whereby a single seam ll may, if desired, be utilised to attach the extensions II and it both to each other and to the upper edge It.

In Flg.- 4, I have illustrated a slightly excessive overlap of the edges to provide a margin of safety, it being understood that the cutting of the blank may be varied according to particular manufacturing requirements to obviate trimming operations which might be necessary in the blank illustrated. likewise, the particular shape of the extensions and edge It may be modified to vary the meeting points of edges 28 and 3' with the edge l8. As previously stated, it is my preferencethat these meeting points be disposed inwardly from the side folds of the garment in collapsed condition, in order to shorten the length of edges 28 and 38, to prevent-sagging of the edges after the garment has been positioned on the wearer. Such shortening should not, of course, be more than is consistent with adequate neck opening expansion for purposes of ready passage of the garment over the head. As illustrated in Fig. 4, upon turning the elongations li-outwardly from the body of the blank in folded position, the outer extension edges, as edge 34, will cooperate with the longitudinal edges of theelongations it to define arm-hole edges, to which may be attached sleeves of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

when my invention is applied to the manufacture of shaped garments, the lower body portion may, of course, be downwardly flared or otherwise shaped by insertion of gores, or other fabric sections, which may require longitudinal seams in front or in back, Such seams have no relation to the shoulder or sleeve construction, and therefore a body portion shaped in such manner is considered a seamless tubular body portion within the scope of the invention, and within the meaning of that phrase as used in the appended claims.

From the above description of a preferred form of my garment, it is apparent that the body and shoulder construction requires but one seam 5|, while the garment can be completed by the use of only two additional seams 60, attaching the sleeve portions,

The location of seam 50 affords the garment a lower body portion of single thickness fabric throughout, which is usually covered by a bulky diaper, while permitting a double thickness chest portion of any desired limited area, and the entire garment can be manufactured with ease and economy to provide a novel improvement in closed neck opening garments.

I claim: a

l. A garment comprising a body portion of seamless tubular knit fabric, the front of said body portion terminating in an upper centrally concave edge and the back of said body portion terminating in shoulder-forming extensions connected to the front of said body portion thereby defining a closed neck opening for said garment, each of said extensions being formed of a single thickness of knit fabric integral with the back of said body portion, one of said extensions having an inner edge extending from one shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting said upper concave edge at a point inwardly of the opposite side of said tubular body portion, the other of said extensions having an inner edge extending from the other shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting said upper concave edge at a point inwardly of the other side of said tubular body portion, whereby said extensions overlap each other, said extensions having convex bottom edges seamed to the front of said body portion and to each other by a curved seam ex-' tending from the outer edge of one extension through said two points to the outer edge of the other extension, and having outer edges co-operating with edges of said body portion to define arm-hole edges for the garment.

2. A garment comprising a body portion of seamless tubular knit fabric, the back of said body portion terminating in shoulder-forming extensions connected to the front of said body portion thereby defining a closed neck opening for said portion, whereby said extensions overlap each other, said extensions having bottom edges seamed to the front of said body portion by a seam extending from the outer edge of one extension through said two points to the outer edge of the other extension, and having outer edges co-operating with edges of said body portion to define arm-hole edges for the garment.

3. A garment comprising a body portion of seamless tubular knit fabric, the front of said body portion terminating in an upper centrally concave edge, shoulder-forming connections extending between the front and back of said body portion thereby defining a closed neck opening for said garment, one of said connections having an inner edge extending from one shoulder downwardlyacross the garment meeting said upper concave edge at a point adjacentthe opposite side of said tubular body portion, the other of said connections having an inner edge extending from the other shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting said upper concave edge at a point adjacent the other side of said tubular body portion, whereby said connections overlap each other,

said connections having convex bottom edges seamed to the front of said body portion by a curved seam extending along said concave edge between said two points, and having outer edges co-operating with edges of said body portion to define arm-hole edges for the garment,

4. A sleeved garment comprising a body portion of seamless tubular knit fabric, the front of said body portion terminating in an upper centrally concave edge, the back of said body portion terminating in shoulder-forming extensions connected to the front of said body portion thereby defining a closed neck opening for said garment, the sides of said body portion terminating in elongations adapted to extend outwardly at each side of said garment, and sleeve-forming portions seamed to outer edges of said shoulderforming extensions and to longitudinal edges of said elongations, each of said extensions being formed of a single thickness of knit fabric integral with the back of said body portion, one of said extensions having an inner edge extending from one shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting said upper concave edge at a point inwardly of the opposite side of said tubular body portion, the other of said extensions having an inner edge extending from the other shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting said upper concave edge at a point inwardly of the other side of said tubular body portion, whereby said extensions overlap each other, said extensions having convex bottom edges seamed to the front of said body portion by a curved seam extending from the outer edge of one extension through said two points to the outer edge of the other extension.

5. A garment comprising a body portion of seamless tubular knit fabric and shoulder-forming connections extending between the front and back of said body portion thereby defining a closed neck opening for said garment, one of said connections having an inner edge extending from one shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting the front of said body portion at a point adjacent the opposite side of said tubular body portion, the other of said connections having an inner edge extending from the other shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting the front of said body portion at a point adjacent the other side of said tubular body portion, whereby said connections overlap each other, the wales in the fabric of each of said connections being disposed substantially parallel to its own inner edge and at an angle to the wales in the fabric of the other of said connections, said connections having bottom edges seamed to the front of said body portion by a seam extending between said two points, and having outer edges co-operating with edges of said body portion to define arm-hole edges for the garment.

6. A garment comprising a body portion of seamless tubular knit fabric, the front of said body portion terminating in an upper centrallyconcave edge, shoulder-forming connections of knit fabric extending between the front and back of said body portion thereby defining a closed neck opening for said garment, one of said connections having an inner edge extending from one shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting said upper concave edge at a point adjacent the opposite side of said tubular body portion, the other of said connections having an inner edge extending from the other shoulder-downwardly across the garment meeting said upper concave edge at a point adjacent the other side of said tubular body portion, whereby said connections overlap each other, the wales in the fabric of each of said connections being disposed substantially parallel to its own inner edge and at an angle to the wales in the fabric of the other of said connections, said connections having convex bottom edges seamed to the front of said body portion by a curved seam extending along said concave edge between said two points, and having outer edges co-operating with edges of said body portion to define armhole edges for the garment.

7. A garment comprising a one-piece integral body portion of seamless tubular knit fabric, the back of said body portion terminating in shoulder-forming extensions connected to the front of said body portion thereby defining a closed the back of said body portion, one of said extensions having an inner edge extending from one shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting the front of said body portion adjacent the opposite side of said tubular body portion, the other of said extensions having an inner edge extending from the other shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting the front of said body portion at a point adjacent the other side of said tubular body portion, whereby said extensions overlap each other, said extensions having bottom edges seamed to the front of said body portion by a seam extending from the outer edge of one extension through said two points to the outer edge of the other extension, and having outer edges cooperating with edges of said body portion to define armhole edges for the garment.

8. A garment comprising a body portion, the front of said body portion terminating in an upper centrally concave edge, and shoulder-forming connections extending between the front and back of said body portion thereby defining a said connections having an outer edge cooperating with an edge of said body portion to define an armhole edge for the garment, one of said connections having an inner edge extending from one shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting said upper concave edge at a point inwardly of the opposite side of said body portion, the other of said connections having an inner edge extending from the other shoulder downwardly across the garment meeting said upper concave edge at a. point inwardly of the other side of said body portion, whereby said connections overlap each other, both of said meeting points being disposed above the level of the bottom of said armhole edges, and both of said connections having bottom edges seamed to the front of said body portion by a seam extending from the outer edge of one connection through said two meeting points along said concave edge to the outer edge of the other connection.

9. A fabric blank for use in forming a shoulder supported garment comprising a one-piece unit of seamless tubular knit fabric, said blank, when placed in a collapsed'condition with the side folds of the blank corresponding to the mepoint on said back fold line inwardly and upwardly to define a continuous neck boundary for the garment, and having out free edges extending from a lower point on said front fold line curvingly inwardly and upwardly to define a continuous concavely curved top boundary for the front of the garment, thence inwardly to the longitudinal center line of the blank, thence upwardly and outwardly to form front and back armhole edges for the garment and then convexly and across the top of said blank to said neck edges to define lower boundaries of shoulder-forming connections adapted to meet said front top boundary upon rotating said blank and folding said shoulder connections intermediately into crisscross overlapping relation substantially as described.

10. A fabric blank for use in forming a shoulder supported garment comprising a one-piece unit of seamless tubular knit fabric, said blank, when placed in collapsed condition with side folds of the blank corresponding to the median lines o! the back and front of said garment respectively, presenting superimposed layers of fabric having out free edges extending from a point on said front fold line inwardly to define a. top boundary for the front of the garment, and having the opposite upper corner portion cut out to define a. continuous neck line boundary for the garment, and continuous cut edges ex- 

